Help convince me to stay loyal to Chevy despite the many bugs Suburbans have

Even though I am new here, I've owned Chevy's all my driving life. As we speak I own a 9th Gen and a 10th Gen Sub, along with a 11th Gen Avalanche. My Corvette is a garage queen, but it just goes to show what a good and loyal customer I have been.
Now I was planning on keeping the old 9th Gen as it will not be worth much to sell it, and it still runs strong despite various small things wrong with it. My 10th Gen Sub is the one I'm thinking of selling, despite being loaded with goodies and being in pretty good shape. I was going to either sell it and buy an 11th Gen, or trade it in on one.

HOWEVER my 11th Gen Avalanche has some problems that are really pissing me off. The dashboard has the two infamous cracks, one by the passenger airbag, and the other on the left side of the instrument cluster. I come to find out that just about every single GM truck and SUV(07+) has the same cracks in those exact same places. [I have a few other cars, one from the 70's and another from 1980, and their dashboards have never cracked. This despite the blazing sun in south Florida. Granted I take good care of my cars, and use top shelf products to protect the exterior/interiors.] Still I have treated the AV like a baby since it is a show truck, yet the dash is cracked. This is not to mention other common maladies such as the door handles peeling off, wear areas of paint coming off on both the steering wheel frame, and the A/C controls. So imagine my surprise to go and look at 2007-2009(based on my budget) Subs and every single one of them has the exact same problems. These are $50K+ vehicles, and they have the same factory defects in most all of them. WTF?

If it was just the one year in 2007, I'd almost be willing to forgive it as a new model, even though GM should make good on replacement dashboards. But it is the same with other years as well. I don't know if they ever fixed these problems on newer years, but I am wondering why I should buy another GM/Chevy SUV when they clearly do not seem to care about their loyal customers. So I've had several people suggest other full size SUV's such as the Toyota Sequoia. I must say that I am impressed with the Sequoia's interior, creature comforts, and features. Granted it is not as big as a Sub, nor does it have the same cargo capacity (137 vs. 121). Still it has all sorts of features that should make Chevy owners envious.

So, I need a pep talk(and some rational discussion) as to why I should buy another GM/Chevy SUV vs. going to a competitor, possibly never to return?

Wow, welcome to the site and you win the award for the best written intro in a long time!

Just curious, what type of interior products did you use on the vehicles with the dashboard cracks? Some are better than others and some in fact will dry out the materials and actually cause them to crack instead of protecting it they do the opposite.

You are going to need to do more than that to convince me as I am obviously already am a Sub fan, having owned 2 and possibly looking for a 3rd.

Steve,

As to the products, they are the same products I use on all my cars, like the ones that have not cracked in cars 30+ years old.
I use products like Aerospace 303 on the dash, Pinnacle leather protectant for the seats, Zaino on the paint, etc. My 07 AV had the cracks already from the previous owner, but this guy was a fanatic who added $15K in mods to turn it into a show truck, and even created a CD with multiple songs about his love of the Avalanche. He had money and kept it detailed with products I'd guess is above the Armor All grade.

The point is that you can find all sorts of people who had their dashboards crack within a year or two which obviously has nothing to do with the care they received. I'm telling you right now, stop buy a Chevy dealership, and ask to see the used Tahoes and Subs they have for sale, and most of them will have the exact same cracks in the exact same spots. They will also have the other maladies I mentioned. I am not sure why most owners seem to be apathetic, as to get these issues fixed on your own dime would be several thousand dollars.

OK I'll give a more serious answer :smile:
I believe on the nnbs trucks(2007-2013) they used a different plastic than in previous years. From what I understand the plastic is meant to be eco friendly and recyclable. Previous years used heavy duty and thick abs plastic. In the brand new trucks they just released I think they fixed the quality problem.

I would stop by your local dealer and speak with a service manager. At least one member here had his dash fixed for free when he was out of warranty. I am also a GM guy. Have only had GM. Until recently. I bought a 2013 caravan after the dealer refused to fix my wife's torrent that would not start while it was under power train warranty. (and yes, i did deal with GM customer service multiple times about it) I would have bought a GM product IF they offered what I needed. But, they no longer sell a mini van and the acadia is just too small on the inside for my family. All and all I have to say that my experiences with GM have been positive. Every company has it's issues. I mean you could get a dodge ram, but then you are dealing with their issues. Like the magnum v8 motor that has 16 spark plugs. 8 of them are supposed to be replaced at 30,000 while the other 8 at 100,000 not to mention their joke of a CV 6 speed trans. Or toyota and their drive by wire programming issues causing unexpected acceleration.

So, I guess what I am getting at is that no matter who you buy a vehicle from, you are going to deal with that manufacturers specific issue. The question is, "Are you ok dealing with the issues from GM that you already know about or do you want to open the door to another manufacturer and have to learn about their set of issues"? After dealing with the way service departments work for Chrysler, I have to say I am happy with GM's dealer service (although sometimes inept). With Chrysler you have to call the dealer and tell them what issues you are having. If it is a trans issue, then you should expect to wait 2 weeks until the trans guy is available. If you have multiple issues, trans, motor, and interior. Then you might be expected to make multiple trips to have each thing repaired because the guy that specializes in that area may not be available the same time the other guy is. With GM I usually don't bother to call. I drive in when they first open in the morning. Drop the vehicle off with a list of issues and usually get a call within a few hours telling me that it is done or that it will be done that day.

Adding to what [MENTION=51590]Pikey[/MENTION] said, I've only gone to the dealer twice with my truck because I had a major issue in locations where the only reputable service place was the dealer. Both times it was a great experience dealing with Chevy, if there's an issue they call you immediately, and usually the auto tech calls you to tell you whats wrong and when it takes a few days why and calls each day. Also what I've found with GM truck is that every one stocks parts for them. You never need to worry about it taking 3 weeks to ship a part at the longest its 24 hours.

You are going to need to do more than that to convince me as I am obviously already am a Sub fan, having owned 2 and possibly looking for a 3rd.

Steve,

As to the products, they are the same products I use on all my cars, like the ones that have not cracked in cars 30+ years old.
I use products like Aerospace 303 on the dash, Pinnacle leather protectant for the seats, Zaino on the paint, etc. My 07 AV had the cracks already from the previous owner, but this guy was a fanatic who added $15K in mods to turn it into a show truck, and even created a CD with multiple songs about his love of the Avalanche. He had money and kept it detailed with products I'd guess is above the Armor All grade.

The point is that you can find all sorts of people who had their dashboards crack within a year or two which obviously has nothing to do with the care they received. I'm telling you right now, stop buy a Chevy dealership, and ask to see the used Tahoes and Subs they have for sale, and most of them will have the exact same cracks in the exact same spots. They will also have the other maladies I mentioned. I am not sure why most owners seem to be apathetic, as to get these issues fixed on your own dime would be several thousand dollars.